Tom Buchanan
West Tyrone · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“However, the Bill must give hydro operators clarity and confidence, through a sustainable licensing framework with long-term regulatory certainty, to enable them to invest and upgrade, modernise and improve fish pass technology.”
“I note that quite a bit of work in the Bill falls to the Department with regard to monitoring, enforcement and scientific assessment, which will require adequate resourcing. <BR /> <BR />The Bill must strike the right balance between encouraging investment and protecting sensitive freshwater habitats.”
“I welcome the opportunity to say a few words at Second Stage of the Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Environment Bill. It is overdue legislation, which touches on three interlinked systems: commercial fisheries; growing the aquaculture sector; and the wider water environment, with an ambition to modernise regulation while supporting susta…”
“<BR /> <BR />Hydro schemes and hydropower to produce clean energy that will contribute to decarbonisation targets must be catered for in the Bill, with a clear vision for their future expansion. Those are not abstract infrastructure projects but local assets that generate clean renewable energy while supporting employment in rural areas.”
“Minister, under your watch, many miles of posts and wire fencing were put up along the A5 western transport corridor. However, in the past few weeks, a good bit of that has been removed by a mechanical digger and pushed into a pile for dumping.”
“In reality, however, every notice, every new form and every new administrative step will be another cost to councils. We simply cannot keep relying on councils to pick up the cost. We cannot pretend that council budgets are elastic, with plenty of stretch left in them. As is the case in many other sectors, councils are under pressure.”
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“The rest of us may remember things, but it appears that the party opposite has a very short memory. It is time that all you people, and you other parties that take things so personally, begin to realise that you are here to serve the people as politicians. For goodness' sake, step forward and give that political leadership for the people you are here to represent rather than bringing such petty things before the House.”
“Mr Wilson has nothing at all to apologise for. What are we Members elected to the House to do? To serve the people and to deliver for the people. The last Member talked about corporation tax and welfare reform. Well, do not look at us: we are not the party holding it back. Look at the parties that are holding it back— the parties that are involved in all the petty wrangling. As our constituents and those outside look into the Chamber and see exactly what we are debating, it is no wonder that they shake their head and say that, really and truly, the credibility of the House is going down the drain. <BR /> <BR />Fra McCann more or less condemned the DUP for putting down a petition of concern. Fra has a short memory. Does he forget that they opposed the motion to sanction Gerry Kelly?”
“One would have thought that most of us in the House would be politically mature enough to take it on the chin, but, alas, there are those who beat their breast to be in the House and to be the political giants of it and who want to dictate to other parties and other Ministers what they should and should not be doing but, when something like this comes along and hits them, they become nothing more than political jelly babies. You know what? They are perhaps not as sweet as the jelly babies that you can buy in a shop. That is the image that we have of the other political parties around the Chamber tonight. <BR /> <BR />Let us look at the questioning of Mr Wilson by Douglas Bain and how he looked into the criminal nature of the comment. One wonders where he was coming from in all this and how he got the idea that it was criminal in nature.”
“I agree with the Chair of the Committee. It is a pity that the proposer could not spell out exactly what legal advice the Committee got. <BR /> <BR />As we sit in the Chamber tonight, miracles will never cease. The SDLP's Dolores Kelly is now the advocate for the TUV leader, Jim Allister, in bringing such a ludicrous complaint before the House on his behalf. I am trying to work out whether Dolores is now the TUV puppet or mascot. I do not know which it is, but it certainly has to be one of them. From reading the report, it is clear that the remark that appears to have caused so much concern was made in a political context during a rousing exchange in the Committee.”
“We hear about the Committee report, but I want to make the House aware that the report does not have the unanimous support of the Committee. It has been put through the Committee only by a majority vote. I am a newcomer to the Standards and Privileges Committee, having been on it only for the last two meetings, and what I have witnessed from the other parties around the table has been nothing more than schoolboy politics. It is something that we would perhaps see in a primary school. That is what we have witnessed as the standard and level of the other parties around the table. It is no wonder that, in the eyes of the public, the credibility of the House is going down the drain.”
“I oppose the motion and will make my comments short and to the point. I am not opposing the motion simply because Mr Wilson is a member of my party. I know that he is well able to speak for himself. I am doing it because the motion is in contravention of article 10 of the European Convention. We are prohibiting freedom of expression. We need to take a step back in the Chamber tonight and ask ourselves whether we want to stymie politics and debate to the extent that we deny each other freedom of expression in the House in particular debates. I do not think that we want to do that. That is exactly what the motion is about. <BR /> <BR />Throughout the entire process, we, as a party, have been consistent in our opposition to this action, even in the Committee.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. The key in all of this is that it is delivered on the ground in a way that is beneficial to the employers. Will the Minister advise whether there will be a cap on the numbers, should more young people apply for the uptake of this than was anticipated? The Minister mentioned the dedicated industrial consultants complementing the central services. Will they be employed by your Department and, if so, will they be remunerated for the role that they play in this?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. It appears that any safety checks are being done during the consultation process, but, during the application process or when an application is being approved, what stipulation does the Department have for regular safety checks on those turbines after a wind farm has been completed and is up and running?”
“— and academic pathways to widen the choice and the type of subjects on offer. I support the motion.”
“It is very clear that the current model is not working. The gender gap widens from GCSE to A level, when girls choose to follow alternative career paths. This is a key stage at which girls need to be actively encouraged into STEM, after they receive their GCSE results and are thinking about A-level choices. Perhaps more needs to be done at this stage through careers education —”
“<BR /> <BR />Changing attitudes to STEM is also a priority. It is necessary to move away from gender stereotypes and to actively encourage everyone to consider careers and education in STEM subjects. That will take everyone involved, from policymakers to business leaders to schools and those in higher and further education (FE) establishments, working together in an active and coordinated way to push that and to promote STEM. <BR /> <BR />As has been mentioned in previous debates, there is a massive discrepancy in the gender balance within STEM. Men outnumber women by nearly three to one in high-level posts, and this is not helpful going forward, as the need of the Northern Ireland economy for more skilled scientists and engineers can only be met when greater emphasis is placed on recruiting and retraining women in the sector.”
“It is time that the Department of Education began to take a closer look and to consider how important it is for STEM subjects to be introduced at primary level. With the widening access schemes at university level, there is the will and determination to bring innovative projects to schools, but, time and again, practical issues stop those types of projects going ahead. Schools have to pay costs to bring their children to those events, and they simply cannot afford that. If we are serious about bringing STEM to the top of the agenda, those types of practical aspects must be addressed. Extra funding must be allocated to schools for attendance at those types of events. Priority must be given to STEM. The Department of Education must not bypass it and leave it on the back-burner in favour of other less pressing subjects.”
“Minecraft is an extremely popular game that has exploded on to the scene. It essentially involves 3D Lego where children form elaborate constructions and build worlds within worlds. These are the engineers of the future, yet, at this stage, there is no link with their academic careers. It is at this stage that we are losing children. It is essential that we broaden the perception of science, technology, education and maths at this early stage to ensure that the children recognise that these subjects form the backbone of any creative problem-solving solution in the world around us. <BR /> <BR />Universities have also come on board at this stage. Dedicated community-based outreach schemes to bring STEM to primary schools are already in place in the university system, but, again, that has been hampered by funding cuts.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ulster University has put a lot of work and effort into ensuring that its degree places are filled with young people who know precisely what degree they are entering. Insight into the degree pathways is given in years 13 and 14 to encourage young people to focus their minds on the degree that they will be pursuing so that it meets their needs. It is essential that we build on that success and support the projects that are already in place. <BR /> <BR />To kick-start the process of changing STEM's image, we have to start with the primary-school sector. In the primary-school curriculum, STEM subjects are practically non-existent. Yet, it is at this age that children are constructing imaginative contraptions from Lego, building blocks and other toys, which is planting the seeds of engineering in their minds.”
“It is too late to leave STEM initiatives until post-primary education. That is where the problem lies. Primary-school children need to be engaged and to understand the significance of STEM subjects for their own futures. Organisations like Sentinus are doing an excellent job in advancing the cause of STEM amongst the entrepreneurs and inventors of the future, who are currently in our primary sector. <BR /> <BR />Behind the scenes, STEM is a good news story. Innovative schemes are being run right across Northern Ireland in collaboration with schools, colleges and universities. Those are resulting in increased numbers of students applying for STEM subjects at university. Yet, that is still not enough. Much more needs to be done by all the Departments to support the range of initiatives that are already in place.”
“Insiders within STEM suggest that it is not a priority for the Department of Education. This is a prime example of where two Departments are practically working against each other. On the one hand, DEL is working to push STEM forward, and, on the other hand, the Department of Education is cutting a relatively small budget, and that is having an adverse effect on the current and future projects being delivered for primary schools. For future sustainable growth in this sector, all Departments must work together to focus efforts and collaboratively drive this forward for the good of everyone in Northern Ireland.”
“I call on the Department of Education and the Minister to reconsider the relatively minuscule budget for Sentinus to enable it to continue with the good work it has been doing over the years.”
“Such organisations are meeting needs that are not being addressed in the education curriculum. Sentinus runs valuable STEM schemes and projects right across Northern Ireland that are closing the gaps in STEM education not being met by the school curriculum. <BR /> <BR />Sentinus cannot keep up with the demand from thousands of children in schools across Northern Ireland who are keen to attend its projects, yet its budget has been cut by up to 32% by the Department of Education. That is a backward step, and it is precisely that type of short-sightedness by the Education Minister in cutting some of the smaller budgets that is having drastic and lasting consequences for the future of our children. <BR /> <BR />The Education Minister should be paying more attention to STEM subjects in primary schools.”
“It is essential that we change the image, which appears to be more male-dominated, and replace it with the truth of the matter, which is that STEM is the butterfly that will emerge from its chrysalis and on which Northern Ireland's economy will fly high and compete on the world stage. This country may be small, but we have a history steeped in engineering, innovation and manufacturing, and those industries are founded on STEM. It is time to make over STEM and make it attractive, bright and innovative to attract the brightest and best young minds of the future. <BR /> <BR />The promotion of STEM programmes is important for the future of the Northern Ireland economy. It is widely recognised that STEM underpins economic development, yet funding difficulties sometimes make progress impossible. One local example of that is Sentinus.”
“Defibrillators and ejector seats were the brainchildren of inventors here in Northern Ireland. That is the legacy on which the brilliant minds of Northern Ireland have made their mark on the world stage, and that is the future that we aspire to for our next generation. <BR /> <BR />However, in relation to the enormity of that task, we have a fundamental problem: for children, parents and the wider community who are not involved in STEM, it has an identity problem and needs a makeover. Perceptions of the STEM sector need to be changed if we are actively going to make any inroads into the sector.”
“A STEM education plays a pivotal role in enabling Northern Ireland to once again lead the way economically and technologically in the global marketplace of the 21st century. As politicians, it is our job to ensure that future policy is informed by the underpinning of this key area, and in particular that Departments work together to ensure that STEM is dealt with on a cross-departmental basis. Our outlook as politicians must be united towards a sustainable development of the economy here. Northern Ireland is synonymous with the Troubles and the shipyard — most notably, the building of Titanic. What is not so widely spoken about, though, is the innovation and inventive legacy that formed the background to the Province. The Royal Victoria Hospital was the first building to use an air conditioning system, in 1906.”
“If they continue on the way that they are going, with a loss of £2 million a week, it will be no time until we are standing here and the Departments will be saying, "We have no money left to do any work in our Departments throughout the regions of Northern Ireland". I support the Minister and the Bill.”
“We see it in some of the other Departments, and, therefore, there is that need for the Departments to work more closely together. <BR /> <BR />I have to say, as I draw my remarks to a close, that the sooner Sinn Féin and the SDLP honour their commitment to sign up to welfare reform as agreed in the Stormont House Agreement, the better it will be for the people, the communities and everyone here in Northern Ireland. I make no apology for saying this over and over again because it seems that Sinn Féin do not actually get that there is no more money and that, therefore, we have to live with what we have.”
“There is a real need for a joined-up approach among all the Departments rather than piecemeal hacking at budgets without due care and consideration for the long-term effects. <BR /> <BR />I appeal to all Departments today: all Departments have to live within their budget, and they all have to look at cuts that have to be made while protecting the front-line services, and therefore it is vital that all Departments work together, one with the other, to ensure that they are working in harmony and that these types of front-line services are not affected. We heard other people say today that the Education Minister is cutting the front-line services in early years. Those are services that will have an impact on the future.”
“<BR /> <BR />While we do welcome the fact that education support for people with a disability and the disability employment support programme are protected from any funding cuts, it is nevertheless disappointing that other Departments such as DRD have cut their front-line services to community transport. In my constituency, Easilink, which is the largest community transport network, is again facing reductions, and the most vulnerable are not being able to access their specialist courses because of the lack of transport. It is impossible for their families to meet that transport need. What is the point of one Department saving places for disabled members of the community who then have no access to their place of learning because another Department has stepped in and made those cuts?”
“Is this short-term thinking really for the good of the young people in Northern Ireland? Where is the political outlook from Sinn Féin and the SDLP towards a sustainable economic future in Northern Ireland? Continually stalling on welfare reform will not only affect the most vulnerable but will be detrimental to the future of our people and to economic stability and growth in Northern Ireland. The proposed shortfall in places at colleges and universities will no doubt create a demand for more vocational skills and apprenticeship programmes, for which the Minister, at this time, cannot give a commitment on providing extra funding. Of course, this will create a further skills gap.”
“This year, its budget is being reduced by the Education Minister, and, rather than developing more programmes for the incoming year, Sentinus has to look at other ways to try to piece together the money that is has lost to maintain its programme that is already in place.”
“<BR /> <BR />However, it is of some relief that the universities have committed to protecting the narrow STEM subjects, which play a pivotal role in our economy. Yet, while DEL is trying to protect STEM subjects, adverse STEM cuts by the Department of Education are having an impact on STEM in schools. That will have a knock-on effect on our universities and FE colleges, undoing all the good work that has been built up in the area over the years. An example of this is Sentinus, an organisation that provides core STEM programmes to schools throughout Northern Ireland and makes a huge difference to the choices that young people make on STEM subjects.”
“With our universities and FE colleges having to absorb most of the remaining £30·1 million pressure on the DEL budget, there has been uncertainty on how they will manage that whilst seeking to maximise core teaching and research provision. <BR /> <BR />With all the additional budgetary restraints leaving DEL's opening budget at £48·3 million, we are already witnessing widespread implications, with Queen's and the Ulster University cutting student places and imposing associated job losses. This comes at a time when the Minister has warned that standing still is not an option. For the future of Northern Ireland as a growing economy, we need an increase in places rather than the reduction in jobs and places we are witnessing.”
“It is shameful that the growth in the number of degree courses in the HE sector being offered to local students so that they can study for degrees at home will be threatened again by the failure of some parties in the Chamber to sign up to welfare reform. <BR /> <BR />The potential implications are alarming. In dealing with the pressures on the DEL budget, the Minister provided details of the £33·2 million reductions to the Committee. These reductions are made up of £18 million from 2014-15 and £3·5 million of efficiency savings from the employment services. One of the issues that causes concern was the impact that this would have on student places in universities and colleges and the knock-on effect for our economy.”
“I heard Michaela Boyle say in her speech that poverty levels are spiralling out of control. Where does she think they are going to go to if Sinn Féin continues to fail to sign up to welfare reform and we continue to lose £2 million a week? <BR /> <BR />In my constituency, the South West College campus in Omagh is already facing a detrimental impact in the full-time HE sector. South West College is a grade one college of excellence. To achieve that status, it provided a service to students for a maximum number of hours per annum, in addition to its virtual learning environment. That provision is in place to combat rural isolation in the west of the Province. At present, it will remain, but if there are future cuts in funding, or no allowance for inflation, the standard of our education could be brought down.”
“One of the worst things surrounding this budgetary uncertainty is just that: the uncertainty. It is a logistical nightmare to plan for the future when there is no clarity on budgetary restraints. How are finance departments in FE colleges and HE institutions supposed to plan ahead? Uncertainty hangs over us all like a black cloud looming, and we are never sure when a downpour will occur. It is nigh on impossible to plan for future places and courses if there is such uncertainty regarding budgets. <BR /> <BR />It is completely irresponsible for the Sinn Féin and SDLP MLAs in the Chamber to continue to stick their heads in the sand rather than hold up their hands, admit that they are wrong and are going in the wrong direction, and honour their commitments in the Stormont House Agreement.”
“That failure is costing our country dearly and will mean changes being put in place that will undo years upon years of good work in the FE and HE sectors. I am absolutely appalled that we have two parties that are playing with the lives of our future generations and keeping up the facade that they are looking after the needs of the most vulnerable in this country. That is only a smokescreen, because, given the way they are carrying on, the most vulnerable in our society will become worse off. We are really plunging this country into a deep hole. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin and the SDLP are, in effect, flushing £2 million down the drains of Northern Ireland per week. That money could be used to solve budgetary problems and ensure that we were not here today lamenting the future of DEL and other Departments.”
“It is utterly despicable that Sinn Féin and their shadows in the SDLP are holding our country to ransom by their stubborn resistance and failure to implement welfare reform.”
“I support the Minister and the Bill. Most of my remarks will focus on the Department for Employment and Learning, the Committee of which I am Deputy Chair. I heard a number of Sinn Féin Members speak today, and they said that their support for the Bill is conditional, yet none of them has spelt out exactly what they mean by that. What exactly does it mean when they say support for the Bill "is conditional"? Not one of them has spelt out what they actually mean by that statement, but it is not surprising that they make such a statement and then hide behind it. <BR /> <BR />All Departments must realise that difficult decisions have to be taken but that those decisions should be taken in a way that protects front-line services.”
“Will the deputy First Minister use his influence to encourage his party colleagues across Northern Ireland to desist from protesting at traditional, legitimate parades?”
“Will the Minister give an undertaking that she will meet the angling clubs in West Tyrone to help iron out any of the difficulties they may have?”
“— have a sustained effect in Northern Ireland.”
“— and finding themselves in extreme difficulties. I am delighted that Belfast City Council did not rest on its laurels but instead chose to tackle the problem. I urge the Minister to continue to take this forward in a way that will —”
“Just because the products are not banned through the Misuse of Drugs Act, that does not mean that they are safe. They are unregulated and no one, not the customer nor the medical professional who may have to deal with the dire consequences of their use, knows what is in them or what the consequences will be. Psychoactive substances have potentially harmful effects ranging from numerous side effects to death. The extent of the risk to individuals across Northern Ireland, particularly young people, is huge. Far, far too many of our young people are being caught up with these substances —”
“It is imperative that the UK Government make provision in any new legislation to tackle the ease with which sales of these products happen online. Domain names of websites that sell the products need to be reported to a dedicated branch in the PSNI.”
“The UK Government at Westminster need to look at proactive models for tackling these substances rather than always reacting and playing catch-up with the drug manufacturers, who have the ability to produce a new unregulated product very quickly after a ban comes into play. Legislation needs to be introduced to make it an offence to sell, import, export or advertise unregulated psychoactive substances, alongside the ongoing controls on identified substances under the existing misuse of drugs legislation. <BR /> <BR />As a result of the introduction of the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 in the South of Ireland, as already mentioned today, nearly all the head shops were closed down, and the national drugs unit was established to tackle online sales, which is obviously another very important issue.”
“Taking a quick glance through the numerous websites that offer the substances for sale, I see that they boast that home deliveries will be inconspicuously packaged in an unmarked envelope. Students in our universities and colleges are getting the drugs delivered to their room. It is the sharp rise in the easy availability of the drugs that is extremely worrying. <BR /> <BR />Why is it that the Government are always playing catch-up with the manufacturers of the drugs? The UK Government lag behind other jurisdictions that are leading the way in this fight. While I am delighted that we have had some small victories along the way, such as Belfast City Council tackling the matter outside the Misuse of Drugs Act by approaching it from a safety perspective, it is but a small drop in the ocean in comparison with the sales of the substances.”
“That development has had a ripple effect throughout the Province, as named individuals and a limited company were prevented from selling substances from premises in Belfast and right across Northern Ireland. As a direct result of the court order, premises in Omagh were closed down. <BR /> <BR />While I am delighted with that outcome, I am concerned that these products are still being openly sold on the streets of Omagh, which the PSNI seems to be powerless to curb. In Omagh, however, anecdotal evidence suggests that a list of regular users of these substances now receives deliveries of their chosen drugs to their home. The ease with which customers can order the drugs and have lethal substances sent to their home is alarming.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important matter. It is right that we take a moment to remember the families who have been torn apart and the young people who have lost their life as a result of these substances in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />It is good that, since I last brought the subject to the Floor of the House for debate in November 2014, changes have happened, albeit slowly. In my constituency in West Tyrone, a shop that was openly selling psychoactive substances, commonly referred to by the misleading name of "legal highs", was closed down as a direct result of a court order banning the sale of these substances in a Belfast shop.”
“— has been mentioned. The Minister for Employment and Learning needs to take a close look at that issue.”
“We also have the issue of £60 million being cut from transport. What is that doing? It is affecting Easilink, especially in west Tyrone, where, again, the most vulnerable in society are being affected. Some £190,000 has been taken from the Easilink service in west Tyrone. The elderly are being affected, as are the disabled and those with learning difficulties as the transport services that take them to the places they need to go are being cut. <BR /> <BR />The ESF funding —”
“A Minister can build a school for 15 Irish language pupils at a cost of millions of pounds while taking £2 million from early years, where it would have the most benefit for our children, and, of course, the most benefit for education as they move forward. Let us remember that the early years service picks up on autistic disorders, speech and language therapy and all of that, which, in turn, saves the Department money in the longer term.”
“It will mean the loss of a local service in 153 communities in the most disadvantaged parts of Northern Ireland; a loss of 177 jobs, mainly among women and focused in areas of disadvantage; a loss of 2,500 early childhood places that were directly benefiting from the fund, including places for the most vulnerable children, and so on and so forth.”
“Sinn Féin, of course, is using this as a smokescreen in a sense. It is saying that it will not sign up because it is protecting the most vulnerable. Friend, who is being affected today by the community and voluntary sector cuts? It is the most vulnerable in society. <BR /> <BR />I want to focus very briefly on three areas that I have been lobbied on. One is early years. It takes £2 million to run early years. Of course, that £2 million cut is having a serious effect on early years and the services provided for young and preschool children. That cut came about without prior notification, engagement or consultation by the Department. What effect will it have?”